Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-02-24
THROUGH THE HEART.
A DEPL0RABLE ACCIDENT in NORTH
WHEELING, YESTERDAY.
John MeKOwn Shot and Almost Instantly KILLED
BY 4 Paymats-Ths Deadly Ia
Rife"
A mout deplorable accident, identical in

A most deplorable accident, identical IN
its sad results and in the weapon employed,
with the killing of the baby by young
Wagner, east of the city, a year ago, &C.
CURED in the rear of No. 619 MarketstIeet,
North Wheeling, just before 4 O'Clock yes
terday afternoon. The victim was John
McKOwn, aged about Is years, a son ofthe
late Charles McKown, at n time an EN-
ploye of the Wheeling Hinge Company,
while the lad who unwittingly caused his
death is Louis Beuter, a son of Charles
Beuter, the tailor, q boy about the same
aye rs McKown. The accident is best de-
scribed in the language of Louis Beuter, as
he narrated the sad occurrence to a REGIS
TER reporter:
John and / had borrowed the rifle from
Albert Buchanan, and early this morning
we started out to shoot. We travelled over
the hills as far as the Park, came home and
got our dinners, and then started out again.
We shot at some birds. and part OF the
time we spent in shooting at marks. We
came down into town about half-past
three o'clock and went into our lower yard,
which is q good deal lower than the level
of the house. We only had one cartridge
left, and after we had climbed over the
fence into Helmbright's yard and then
back again, we saw a chippy In q tree.
John had the gun cooked and was going to
shoot at the bird, but changed his mind,
and said: you shoot it He handed the
gun to me, holding the muzzle toward
himself, and keeping his hand around the
stock lust where the trigger is. l reached
for the gun, and just as | touched
the butt Of the stock the rifle
WAS discharged. The ball struck him Just
in the centre of the breast. Johnny turned
around and ran up the yard to the porch,
where my mother was, crying: oh, Mrs.
Beueer, Pm shot, He ran to the kitchen
door and fell into my mothers arms, and
then sank down just outside the door on
the porch. He died in a few moments.
John and | were good friends. We had
been mad at each other for about two
years, but we made up day before yester-
day. He used to work for the North
Wheeling Glass Works, but was discharg-
ed two or three days ago"
The boy told this story in a very frag-
mentary way, sObbing all the while as II
his heart would break. During it's recital
the body of young McKown lay upon the
little back porch, where it had fallen, the
people fearing to disturb it until it had
been viewed by the Coroner and the au-
thorities.
The news of the accident was quickly
given to the police, and Officer Desmond
! and Hazlett soon arrived at the house.
! They at once communicated with police
Headquarters, and Constables st. Myers
and Lauchliu and Prosecuting Attorney
Jordan went to the scene of the shooting.
After viewing the remains and hearing the
circumstances OF the shooting, MIR. Jordan
had the body taken TO the residence OF Mr..
W. Kroneuweth, No. 52l National Road,
the grandfather Of the dead boy, and ut
the same time placed Young Beuter
under the surveillance OF Officer
Desmond until Coroner Schultze, who
had been sent tor, should arrive. The
Coroner appeared about 6 o'clock, and after
viewing the remains and hearing the testi-
mOny of the witnesses decided that the
cause of death was accidental.
The McKowp family has surely had its
share OF affections within the past year.
| During that time both father and mother
have died, leaving five children, the eldest
a girl of Il. The dead boy was the second
of the family, and there are three little
boys younger than he. The orphans have
been living with Mr.. Kronenweth, their
grandfather, who keeps q small tailor shop
at the number given above.
The rifle with which the shooting was
done is q small breach loading - calibre
gun, called a cat rifle by many, and
while harmless at q few dozen yards, is a
deadly enough weapon at short range. The
ball entered McKOwn's breast a little
above and to the right of the heart, max
ing a clean cut hole, from which little or
no blood exuded.
The accident is a very sad one. 1t carries
with it the conviction that boys Of the
ages of these two, have no business with
firearms. Yet dozens of these rifles are i'll
the hands of youngsters all over the city.